


A Series of Events, both Fortunate and Unfortunate

by lizziedunbar99



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, My First Fanfic, Original Character(s), Slow Build, Slow Burn, well one person dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-06-04 12:09:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6657193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizziedunbar99/pseuds/lizziedunbar99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter makes a friend for life when Draco Malfoy moves in next door to him with his mother. Unfortunately, nothing good happens without bad things following it and the friends are torn apart as they are due to start school. When they are finally reunited, something has definitely changed between them, for better or worse, and it must be dealt with. Yet they both know more bad things await them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok this is my first fic, please be nice! I want to thank @sparkle-in-my-eye, the amazing Kya for letting me base my work off of her brilliant headcannon and for editing my work which I'm sure was littered with errors. Updates should be weekly, but don't hold me to anything, its currently a work in progress. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

The day that the Malfoy boy moved in was a very important day for 5-year-old Harry Potter. It was a chance to make a new friend, something Harry took very seriously. He leaned against the tree watching the moving van being unloaded. A tall, thin blonde lady was directing the moving men as they levitated a large dresser into the house. A small boy, about Harry’s age, with hair even brighter than his mother’s, more white than blonde, was standing by the side of the van watching his feet. So that was Draco. Harry’s parents, Lily and James, had told him to be extra nice to him because he was the new boy. Picking up his toy broomstick, Harry made his way over.  
“Hi, I’m Harry. I live next door.”  
“I’m Draco.”  
“I know. Mum and Dad told me about you. Apparently, my Mum and your Mum are friends which is why you decided to move here.”  
“I didn’t decide, Mother did.”  
“Yeah that’s what I meant.”  
“Oh.”  
“Do you have a toy broomstick?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Wanna have a race in my garden? Bet I can beat you.”  
“Ok. Bet you can’t”  
And with that simple conversation, a lifelong friendship was formed.

*******

Harry and Draco spent the rest of that summer barely apart. Every day they would get together and explore Godric’s Hollow. They knew that they weren’t allowed past the church or over the bridge, but the space between the two was their kingdom. Being the only two young children with magical blood in the area, they naturally gravitated towards each other. They spent their days having fake duels with sticks, tormenting the Potters’ cat and avoiding Bathilda Bagshot, the crazy old lady who lived on their street.  
The two boys told each other everything. Sometimes, instead of causing mischief, they would lie in a field and talk about their lives before they met.  
Harry talked about his uncles, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. He told him about Peter Petigrew, who had almost sold his parents out to some evil wizard before Sirius caught him. He talked about Tonks, the lady with the colour changing hair who sometimes visited with Remus and Sirius.   
Draco talked about his father, Lucius Malfoy, and said how mean and horrible he was and how he sometimes hit Mother when he was angry and drunk. He told him how he missed him sometimes, even though he knew that his Father was a Bad Man, because he was nice when he wasn’t angry and gave Draco lots of presents. He talked about his mad Aunt Bellatrix who went to prison just before he moved to Godric’s Hollow but still terrified him.  
They had lots of sleepovers too, and the two boys got to know and love the other’s parents as much as their own. When September began, it was decided that the boys had been showing enough signs of magic to be a danger to a primary school. It was also decided that Narcissa should teach them both and get paid by the Potters as a tutor.   
And so it was for the next five years. Harry and Draco were closer than brothers and life seemed just about perfect.

Of course, then everything went wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

In the autumn of the year that Harry and Draco turned eleven, Narcissa got sick. Really sick. The healers couldn’t do anything. They gave her a month.  
The night she was diagnosed, Harry met Draco in their field and held him while he sobbed. He wanted to cry too because he loved Narcissa as well, but he had to stay strong for Draco. This time was for Draco to be weak and for Harry to protect him. Soon the sobs ebbed and Draco released his death grip on Harry’s shirt. They both lay back on the grass and looked at the stars.  
“I can see you in the sky,” Harry said, pointing to the Draco constellation.   
“I see Sirius,” Draco replied, his voice slightly hoarse.  
“There’s Orion, Sirius’ dad.”  
“And the Big Dipper is over there, so north is that way.”  
They were quite for a little while. Then Draco spoke again:  
“What’s going to happen now?”  
Harry turned his head so he could look Draco directly in the eye.  
“I don’t know.” He reached out a hand to Draco who grasped it like a lifeline, “But we will get through this. Together.”   
They stayed there all night, holding hands, silently comforting each other. When the sun began to rise they got up and went home. They didn’t let go of each other’s hands until they went into different houses.  
Neither of them said anything.  
Nothing needed to be said.

*********

Despite the healer’s deadline, Narcissa lived for much longer than a month. In fact, she didn’t die until that summer. At the beginning of July, she couldn’t get out of bed. Draco barely left her side and only ate and drank when Harry brought him food and water. On the 5th of July, Narcissa lost her battle. She died surrounded by the people who loved her most: Draco, Harry, Lily, James, Sirius and Remus. Her new family.   
Harry and Draco went to their field again that night. This time Draco didn’t cry. He looked too shell shocked to cry. His warm grey eyes had turned cold and empty, and the usual spark of mischief was gone. This time, they stared at the stares with unseeing eyes, too wrapped up in grief to see anything beautiful. Draco was the first one to speak.  
“She’s gone.”  
Harry turned to look at his best friend, his brother, and saw pain and grief that mirrored his own etched into his face.  
“I know,” he said and extended his hand once more. Draco gripped it like it was the only thing keeping him alive.  
Silence dominated, heavy with pain and loss. They didn’t speak again.  
There was nothing more to say.

*********

Draco took a long time to recover from his mother’s death. He moved in with the Potters a few days after that night. For the first week he barely left his room and refused to eat. Harry often woke up to hear him screaming at night.   
By the end of that week, Harry had had enough. When he was woken up in the middle of the night again, he burst into Draco’s room and shook him awake.  
“Hey, hey wake up, its ok, it’s just a dream,” Harry whispered soothingly as Draco started awake, sitting bolt upright.  
“Harry…” Draco mumbled, confused.  
“Yeah that’s right,” Harry sat on the bed in front of him, “you had a nightmare. Wanna talk about it?” Draco shook his head. “Ok. Want me to go?” Draco shook his head. “Ok.” Harry shuffled around so he was sitting next to Draco and slung his arm around his shoulders. Draco leaned into Harry’s side. Eventually, they ended up lying down with Draco lying on Harry’s chest and Harry’s arms encircling him. Draco soon drifted off again. There were no more nightmares that night.  
The next morning, Draco came down to breakfast. He didn’t eat much, and he went back to his room straight afterwards, but he was there. It was a breakthrough.   
Draco slowly began to recover. He came to meals. He started eating more. He got involved in conversation. His face lost the half dead look it had acquired. He even laughed every once in a while. He still had nightmares every night, but Harry was always there to wake him up and make it better. Draco was healing, slowly but surely.   
In the middle of August, their Hogwarts letters arrived. It was the happiest Draco had been since that night. They all made a trip to Diagon Alley to get school supplies and Draco felt as if he had finally healed. He would always miss his mother but now he knew that he could survive without her.  
They went to their field that night. This time they talked excitedly about Hogwarts, their day out, the broomsticks they’d seen in Quality Quidditch Supplies. They laughed and joked about anything and everything and discussed names for their new owls. Harry was planning on Hedwig for his snowy owl and Draco went with Aquila for his eagle owl. Life seemed good again.

But, naturally, now it’s going to get screwed up again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit late! I won't be updating for a few weeks because my exams are about to start. I hope you're enjoying the story so far.

Chapter 3

Lily sighed as she stared at the increasingly mind-numbing patient report on the table in front of her. Her tired eyes ached as she read the same sentence for at least the fifteenth time. Her brain refused to process anything, no matter how many times she tried to concentrate. She knew why. It was Wednesday. Wednesday was coffee day. It was the day reserved for her and Narcissa to gossip about everything and anything. But, of course, Narcissa wasn’t there anymore so Lily was attempting to distract herself by burying herself in work. And getting nowhere.   
She felt James’ strong hands squeeze her shoulders and smiled in spite of herself.  
“How’re you doing?” He asked.  
“Terribly,” she grinned ruefully, “I can’t seem to focus on anything.”  
“Can I get you anything? A drink, a snack? Sirius and Remus are coming for dinner, so I’m attempting to cook something.” He pulled a face, “We’ll probably have takeaway.”   
Lily laughed, “No I’m fine. Try not to blow up the kitchen.” She tilted her head backwards and James dropped a kiss onto her lips before heading back to the kitchen. Lilly sighed again and turned back to her report.   
She missed her. It had been over a month since Narcissa died and it was still hard to come to terms with some mornings. Lily had met Narcissa through Severus and even after she had fallen out with Severus, they had remained good friends. After Hogwarts they had kept in contact; she had even been at Lily and James’ wedding. It wasn’t until Narcissa married Lucius that they stopped talking. One day, Lily had gotten a letter saying that they “shouldn’t correspond anymore” and that was that. Well, until five years later when Lily got an emergency call from St Mungo’s one night and found a bruised and battered Narcissa with a scared and shaking four-year-old Draco. Lily was furious when she found out that Lucius had been beating her. Even more so when she found out that he’d started on Draco. She helped Narcissa get away from Lucius and arranged for her to move into Godric’s Hollow. Everything was perfect. Harry had a friend the same age as him and she had one of her oldest friends back. It was fantastic.   
Until Narcissa got sick.   
Lily was the first one to notice. It was a routine check-up after a bad cough, when she pulled the tissue away from her mouth to find it covered in blood. A respiratory disease. Lily didn’t even know what it was exactly. She blamed herself at first. If only she’d noticed sooner, or if she’d been able to identify the disease, maybe Narcissa would still be there. But she knew it was pointless to speculate. Narcissa was gone and there was nothing she could do about it.   
Her thoughts were interrupted by a ring at the doorbell. She knew it was unlikely that James had heard it from the kitchen, so she got up to answer it. Standing on the doorstep was the unmistakable, slightly imposing figure of Lucius Malfoy. It was all Lily could do to stop herself from cursing him into oblivion.   
“Mrs Potter.” He spoke with a voice that sounded like he was used to being obeyed. If he thought Lily was going to obey him, he had another thing coming.  
“Mr Malfoy.” She replied in a tight voice, “To what do we owe the pleasure?”  
“I would prefer not to discuss it over a threshold. May I come in?” he asked, in an equally strained voice.  
“Of course. Come through to the lounge. Would you like anything to drink? Coffee, tea?”  
“Tea would be welcome, thank you.”  
The tea was an excuse to escape. James was in the kitchen having surprising success with the dinner, but he picked up on the thunderstorm that was Lily’s mood immediately as she entered.   
“What’s wrong?” he demanded the second he saw her face.   
“Lucius bloody Malfoy is sitting in my living room, that’s what.” She was making the tea set fly dangerously ‘round the kitchen, “I don’t know why he’s here, but the only reason he’s not dead yet is because of I don’t want Draco to lose another parent.” She flicked her wand violently at the kettle. James swore violently as the pasta began to boil over.  
“He’s got nerve showing up here. What could he possibly want? He made his position perfectly clear the second he started beating his son. If he thinks we’re letting him take Draco away without a fight, he’d better think again.”  
“I have no idea what he thinks, but I intend to find out as soon as possible.” And with that she stormed out of the kitchen with the tea tray floating in front of her. James hesitated as he looked at his almost finished meal, then cast a charm to stop anything from burning before following his wife into the living room, curiosity getting the better of him.  
Lily was pouring tea when he walked in, anger radiating off of her. James was impressed with her self-control.   
“Malfoy. How do you do? Lily told me you were here. May I ask why?” he asked, packing as much passive aggressiveness into his question as he could. He exchanged a glance with Lily as he sat on the sofa next to her that told him one thing very clearly: the Malfoy was going down.  
“I am well thank you. And yourself?” he replied, deliberately ignoring the second question.  
“Well enough. But you didn’t answer me: why are you here?”  
“I would have thought it obvious to a talented Auror such as yourself. Perhaps the stories have been exaggerated. I am here for my son.”  
Lilly bristled at the jab towards her husband. “I can’t believe you still have the right to call him that. And we will not let you take him.”  
The Malfoy arched an eyebrow, “You won’t let me?” he asked mildly, “And how exactly do you intend to stop me?” Lily had no response for that, so settled for glaring daggers at him. Many powerful witches and wizards had quailed under that glare, yet the Malfoy merely blinked. “I must thank you for caring for my son for the past months. However, I require an heir and have come take him home to raise him as one. I’m sure you understand.”  
James had to physically restrain Lily from attacking the Malfoy. “I’m afraid we don’t. Why the sudden interest in Draco? You haven’t even bothered to visit him before now.”  
“That is no concern of yours. All that matters is that I am taking him with me when I leave. I will give him a week to allow him to pack and say his goodbyes, but then I will be taking my son home. If you have any objections, feel free to take it up with my lawyers who have in their possession all of the legal documents stating that Draco is my rightful son and heir.”   
Lily was shaking with fury and James was fairly outraged himself, but he knew that he could do nothing. “We thank you for your consideration in giving Draco time to pack. Would you like to see him today? We can call the boys in.”  
The Malfoy considered the offer. “I would like to speak to my son, yes, but alone if possible.”  
“Of course. We’ll call them in now. Please excuse us.”

********

Several hours later, Lily was still fuming. Lucius Malfoy was in her sitting room, talking to Draco about goodness knows what. Harry was sitting nervously at the dining room table next to his father. Sirius and Remus hadn’t arrived yet, but they were due any moment. If they arrived before Lucius left then there would be trouble. Just as this thought crossed her mind, Lily heard the door to the sitting room open and the Malfoy walked out.   
“I will return in a weeks’ time to collect my son. Thank you for your hospitality.”  
“Of course. Let me show you out.” Lily led him to the door. Just before he swept past her, she grabbed his arm. The Malfoy glanced at her hand, surprised. She looked up at him, fire in her eyes, and hissed, “If you dare hurt him, I will make you wish that you were dead.” She dropped his arm like it was a dead animal and slammed the door in his face, leaving the Malfoy reeling slightly and trying hard not to let on how much those few words had shaken him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So sorry that this took so long to post, I had exams all last month. Hopefully chapter 5 should be up next monday. Also, I apologise in advance for this chapter, I cried while writing some of it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

Draco sat in the living room for a long time after the Malfoy left. He was slightly shell shocked after seeing his father again after so many years. The sight of him had brought a chill that still lingered, bone deep, despite the warmth of the summer day. Memories of him from before Narcissa had brought Draco to Godric’s Hollow still haunted his nightmares. He’d never revealed the true extent of what Lucius had done to him, not even to his mother, not even to Harry. 

And now he had to go and live with him. 

Draco let out a shaky breath and ran his trembling hands through his hair. It was okay. He wasn’t going to be there full time. He was going to be at boarding school. He could avoid his father for most of the time. And the Manor was so huge that even when he was home it was possible to hide. He just had to survive until he was 17. Then he could leave and never look back. Six years. That was all. He could do it. He was strong. He was a Malfoy and a Black. Nothing would change that. And besides, Lucius didn’t drink anymore. If he didn’t drink, he wouldn’t hurt him. 

Right?

Draco took another deep breath before making his way into the dining room where his family was waiting. Sirius and Remus had arrived in the time that he’d been pulling himself together. Lily quickly engulfed him in a tight hug, as though she had lost him already. When she released him, she had tears in her eyes and she rushed into the kitchen, mumbling some excuse about getting dinner. James simply gripped his shoulder tightly, before joining his wife in the kitchen. Sirius looked him dead in the eye and said, “If you ever need us to bust you out, just send an owl,” which made Draco smile despite himself. Remus simply said, “They tried to stop him. There was nothing they could do.” They both went into the kitchen as well.

That just left Harry. One look at those big green eyes had Draco’s self-control crumbling around him. They rushed towards each other and hugged fiercely, like it was competition. Draco fisted his hands in Harry’s t-shirt and struggled to hold in his sobs. He could feel Harry doing the same thing. 

“I don’t want to go with him.” Draco choked out, leaning away from Harry slightly so he could talk, “I want to stay here with you and Lily and James and Sirius and Remus and-” 

“Shh.” Harry cut him off and looked at him dead in the face, “Its okay. I want you to stay too. But I’ll still be your best friend, we can write to each other and we’ll see each other when we go to Hogwarts and-”

“No”

“What?” Confusion spread across Harry’s face.

“We won’t see each other at Hogwarts. I thought they’d told you.”

“Told me what? What are you talking about? Of course we will!”

“No we won’t. Don’t you see? I’m not going to Hogwarts.”

“What?”

“Father is sending me to Durmstrang.”

Harry was staring at Draco in shock when Lily walked in carrying the dinner. “Dinner time, everyone!” she called in a very falsely cheerful voice. This seemed to snap Harry and Draco out of whatever trance they’d slipped into.

“Thank you Lily, but I am unable to dine with you today. Please excuse me,” Draco managed to choke the words out before fleeing the room.

“I can’t stay either.” Harry tried to run too, but his mum caught his arm. She took one look at his heartbroken face and bundled him up in her arms like only a mother could. He sobbed onto her shirt and managed to choke out, “He’s not going to Hogwarts.” Lily rocked her son in her arms and mentally cursed Lucius Malfoy to the fiery pits of hell for tearing her boys apart. If it was the last thing she did, Lily knew, then and there, that she was going to destroy Lucius Malfoy.

**********

A week passed far too quickly. Harry and Draco’s relationship had become strained. They were still best friends but something had changed between them. A rift had formed, forged by Lucius Malfoy. The pain that had once bound them closer than brothers was now forcing them apart. Both of them could feel it but they didn’t know how to fix it. They behaved normally enough, but the easy conversation had become forced and the comfortable silences were laced with tension. 

They carried on like this until the night before Draco was due to leave. At this point Harry knew that he had to do something. He got out of bed and ran to Draco’s room.

“Let’s go to our field.” Draco looked up at him and nodded.

Half an hour later, they were lying in their spot. They talked about everything and nothing. They stargazed like normal, discussed Sirius’ and Remus’ latest scandal like normal. At some point Draco sat up and just looked at Harry. Harry sat up as well, looking at Draco. Their faces were very close. They were breathing the same air. Harry brought his hand up to Draco’s face, stroking his cheek. Draco felt a shiver run down his spine. 

By some unspoken agreement, they both surged forwards, mouths crashing into each other in a kiss far too passionate for two eleven year olds. But they didn’t care. This kiss felt like a long time in the making. They were both trying to give everything they had to the other, in case they didn’t get another chance. Draco moved his hands to Harry’s waist and pulled him closer. Harry tangled his fingers in Draco’s hair. For a moment, the rest of the world disappeared and it was just the two of them, living in the moment forever. Then they broke apart, breaking the spell and gasping for air, not letting go of each other, resting their foreheads together. Draco kept his eyes closed. 

“Hey,” Harry whispered, lifting Draco’s chin with his fingers, “it’s okay. It’s me.” And he kissed him again, this time tenderly, sweetly. When he pulled away this time, Draco was looking at him with pain in his eyes.

“I don’t want to go.”

“I know.” They lay down on the grass, Draco’s head on Harry’s chest, Harry holding Draco close, stroking his hair, “I know.”

Draco lay there, listening to Harry breathe steadily in and out, the same steady breaths that drove the nightmares away. He couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. What did this mean? Was he gay or something else? And what would his father say if he found out?

He looked up at Harry who’d fallen asleep. They must’ve been lying there longer than he realised. Draco smiled at him, despite his inner turmoil. Harry really was amazing. As Draco counted the freckles on Harry’s nose, he felt something shift in side him in a way that made him catch his breath. In this moment, Draco realised something. Harry had changed him. Permanently. He didn’t know how, he didn’t know why, he didn’t know what it meant. He knew just one thing. The words escaped his mouth as he let out a shaky breath.

“It’s you”


End file.
